Paper-fastener.



L. OPPE'NHEIM.

PAPER FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-l0. 191s.

Patented Dec. 18,1917.

3 nve'wfoz Zm gape/rial?! I $1 4 1) @Hozucqo as heretofore made have been U-shaped, and I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEO orrrnnrm, or new Yonx, 1v. Y.

IPAPER-FASTENEB.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filedAugust 10, 1916. Serial No. 114,145.

composed of two wings having penetrating;

devices which when compressed set and lock sheets of paper together. These fasteners,

the wings have been fiat in transverse section. WVhen compressed the wings bend, and upon release'of the compression tend to spring apart slightly owing to the resilience of the metal and, owing to the U-bend do not setsufiiciently close and do not tightly hold the sheets of paper.

An object of this invention is to confine the set which is required in such a fastener to the bend itself, and this is accomplished by making the .-wings substantially nonresilient, so that when compressed, all of the yielding is localized at the bend, instead of being partly at the bend and partly in the wing, as in prior devices. I accomplish this by stiffening the wings longitudinally from adjacent the bend to adjacent the outer ends. By my invention, as specifically shown herein, the wings are sti ened bycorrugations in the shape of letters or designs struck up on them to form ridges and grooves and the edge of portions of the wings are headed. This stifl bending when the fastener is being set and confines the fiexure to the curved portion between them so that the wings do not spring back upon release of the setting pressure but remain in close engagement with the paper between them. The stiffness of the wings permits the fastener to be made of thinner stock and any desired curvature may be given to the connecting neck and the curve there may be so short as -to approach substantially to a V-shape bend. These stiffen ing means serve also as finger holds in grasping the fastener and attractively ornament the wings with distinctive marking.

The fastener of this invention has its wings provided with mating prongs and prong housings or sockets to pierce and grip 'the paper pushed into ening prevents the wings from the paper. Heretofore it has been the practice to form these housings or sockets as substantially circular recesses which in the closed position of the fastener surround the points of the prongs. Such sockets particularly with tough paper often allow the prongs to force the paper up into the prong housing (the open or closed kind) without piercing it, and do Patented Dec. 18, 1917.

not hold the papers in proper manner to be penetrated vby the .v

prongs. On release of the the socket tends to spread the wings apart and loosen the fastener. In this invention these defects are overcome by providing the sockets with lower cutting edges. which lie in close proximity to the prongs and cooperate with them to pierce the paper. By these cutting edges the papers are held rigid against the piercing prongs which penetrate them easily and completely and the prong points are housed.

within the socketsso that the fastener is positively locked on the paper. In socket housingdesigns heretofore m use, the piercing prongs, particularly when I fastening a few sheets of paper, protrude through the upper wing and often prick the fingers of the operator. As these fasteners are usuall of brass such accidents may be particular y serious. In order to protect the fingers of the operator the sockets or housings of this invention aredeepened by inwardly directed toothed flanges or prongs and by the struck u stiffening ridgesarranged to surround 't e socket housing or so that the prongs are entirely sheathed. These toothed flanges or prongs protrude within the inner face of the wing I and are advantageous in that they serve to grip the upper papers more securely and hold" the papers against the piercing prongs. There is thus formed a fastener which may be safely pressed to a surehold on the paper.

The fastener is formed wide lengthwise of the connecting neck or hinge, and comaratively short along a normal to the hinge. The ipping prongs carried by the wings can tfizrefore be well separated to give a wide grip on the .paper so that the papers will not swivel on the gripping means and become disarranged. Thls .broader construction and binding is attained with substantially no increase in the setting pressure I area of metal employed. The fastener is the prongs during therefore cheap in construction and most efiicient in its action.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the fastener when ready for use;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the innerfaces of the fastener before bending; and

Fig. 3 is a section view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 showing the fastener closed on the paper.

In the drawings, win s connected by the curved neck portion 3. The wing 1 is provided with the struck up curved ridges l, 5 and 6 with interconnecting loops serving as stifiening means for said wing to hold it against bending when the wings are pressed together. These stiffening ridges due to the placing of the looped ridges 4, 5 and 6 form the etter E extending-from the curved neck between the wings to the outer edge of the wing 1. These looped ridges together with the head 7 at the outer edge of the win 1 serve to hold said wing stiff against exure when the fastener is being pressed closed on the papers. v 1

The other wing 2 is also provided with stifi'ening means and in the embodiment shown this is accomplished by striking up the word Eclipse in elongated letters extending from the bend 3 to the end of the wing. The wing is also provided with an edge bead 8. The lettering and heading together hold the wing stiff when pressed to grip the Work. The stiffening of both the wings therefore confines the entire fiexure to the connecting curved neck 3 so that where there is such a concentrated deformation of the metal it is bent far beyond the elastic limit and upon release of the setting pressure the fastener wings remain in close enga ement with the paper between them.

0 grip the paper between the wings, mating-prongs and socket housings are rovided which pierce the papers. The soc ets or housings 10, 11 and 12 are carried by the wing 1 within the looped ridges 4, 6 and 5, respectively, while the piercing prongs 13, 14 and 15 are struck up from the other wing 2 in'position to enter the socket housings 10, 11 and 12 respectively. In order to hold the paper snugly and flatly down against the closing 0 eration, the sockets are provided with cutting edges 16 which in the closed position of the fastener lie close to the prongs. During the piercing of the paper these edges cotiperate with the rongs to efiect a complete and. neat penetration and in efiect form with the prongs mating cutting edges. To further grip the paper and to hold it down against the prongs, the socket housings are also provided with segmental flanges 17 or prongs between the wings and protruding within 1 and 2 are the fastener the inner face of the wing 1. These flanges 17 together with the ed es 16 and the looped ridges around the soc ets serve to deepen the sockets to such an extent that in no position will the prongs protrude through sulficiently to prick or lacerate the fingers of the operator.

The fastener is preferablv so formed that its dimensions lengthwise of the connecting neck 3 are greater than the length of'the wings from the neck. is greater and besides edge of the paper. spaced relatively and greater grip,

positioned near the The prongs can be far apart to give a wide which will effectually prevent an swivelmg or pivotin of the papers. he localizing of the exure at the bend makes the connecting neck act likev a hinge holding the stiffened wings exactly opposite each other and accurately registering the prongs and prong housings no matter how the wings are pressed together.

The stiffening means on the wings provide convenient finger grips. In the embodiment shown, the sockets of the wing 1 are so disposed as to leave the central outer portion of the wing free for finger pressure. With the fastener constructed as described there is little or no recoil from full closed position. The flexure is restricted to the curved neck 3' and the papers are held tightly down on the piercing rongs and the penetration is complete so t at the paper will not spread the wings when released. By my improvements the setting of the fastener on any thickness of paper is made safe and its gri secure.

It is evi cut that the form and pngortions of the fastener may be varied om those specifically. disclosed and that any desired means may be used to stifien one or both of the wings. The invention is not confined to the specific embodiment shown, but is intended to cover such modifications thereof as fall within the scope of the appended claims.-

Havin' thus described my invention, 1 declare that what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A paper fastener comprising opposite;

roximastened fastener comprising opposite In this way the grip .holding portions connected by a bent ortion, a penetratin portion-and a matmg housing onthe other holdin portion'having an inwardly directed flange edge, and a substantially straight cuttmg edge.

4. A paper fastener formed by bending a 7 single piece of sheet metal and comprising opposite holdin portions connected by a resilient curve neck adapted. .to bend throughout its length to grip the paper between said holding portions when pressed together, paper penetrating means comprismg a prong on one holding portionand amating socket on the other holding portion having an edge surrounding and housing said prong in set position and cooperating therewith to cut the paper, and longitudinal stifi'ening means formed by bending one of said holding portions and extending from said neck to the point of application of the setting pressure to confine the bending flexure to the metal of said neck so that the holding portions will remain in close engagement with the paper and said prong. and socket-will swivel about said neck and be brought into accurate register when set.

-5. A paper fastener formed by bending a,

single piece of sheet metal and comprisin other and adapted to be pressed together to prong on' one hol ing opposite holding portions at an angle to eac grip the paper between them, paper penetrating means comprising a plurality of prongs and mating sockets on said holding portions, said sockets having edges surrounding and housing said prongs in set position and'cooperating therewithto penetratethe paper at widely separated points, a curved connecting neck between said holding portions adapted to bend throughout its length and wider than the distance from said neck to said prongs, and longitudinal stifi'ening means formed said holding portions and comprising struck up ridges looped around said sockets to increase their depth and extending from said by bending one of neck to the point of application of the settin pressure to confine the bending flexure to t e metal of said neck so that the holding portions will remain in close engagement with the paper and said prongs and sockets will swivel about said neck and be'brought into accurate register when set In testimon whereof I afiix my signature,

' in presence 0 two witnesses.

L -QrQElZE 

